Theatrical appliance.



No. 635,043. Pafented Oct. I7, I899. J. n. GRISMER.

THEATBICAL APPLIANCE.

(Application filed Dec. 2, 1898.)

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qw mzs 73 uwul w aria'mc/g ATENT JOSEPH R. GRISMER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TH EATRICAL APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,043, dated October 17, 1899. Application filed D em r 2, 1898. Serial No. 6 98,070. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPH R. GRISMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, (Bayside, Long Island,) in the county of Queens and State of New York, havev invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stage Appliances; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description frames, and other places, thus simulating inthe highest degree a violent snowstorm. To get this efiect, I employ flakes of paper and combine with them pulverized or granular substances, preferably of greater specific gravity than the paper flakes-such, forinstance, as salt, meal, or white sand.

With this object in view the invention con sists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and. claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a side view, partly-in section, the fans beingomitted. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line X X of Fig. 2.

In the drawings the same reference characters indicate the same parts of the invention.

1 denotes an upright frame supporting one or more receptacles 2, preferably in the form of perforated cylinders arranged in different horizontal planes and adapted to drop or discharge sand, salt, meal, or any granular or pulverized substance.

2 denotes a flake-dropper, being a device designed for dropping or dischargingflakes in the form of small pieces of paper. The flake-dropper is of a well-known construction and in itself forms no part of my invention,

as any form of flake-dropper may be provided without departing from the spirit of my invention. The one shown consists of a framework comprising the longitudinal sides 2 the end pieces 2, the slats 2 and the coarse wire-netting 2 It is suspended from above by cords 2 and is operated by a cord 2, which extends around and is fastened to one of the end pieces.

Below each of the cylinders is a fan 3, designed to expel or force the granular or pulverized substance as it falls from said cylinders across the stage into the path of the falling paper flakes, the two thus being combined and forced across the stage. The granular 0r pulverized substance when combined with the flakes and forced across the stage by the blast from the fan will be driven against the panes of glass and into the door-jambs and bank, thus presenting to the audience a realistic effect.

While I prefer to employ electricity for operating the fans, they may be operated by hand-p0wer. I may also desire to rotate the perforated cylinders by electric power, but prefer to rotate them by hand, and it will of course be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without de parting from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

'Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

In a device of the character described, the combination with the flake-dropper, of means for dropping a pulverized or granular substance, and means for blasting or driving the falling mass across the stage whereby the flakes and pulverized or granular substance are mixed and a realistic snow-storm pro -duced, substantially as and for. the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witncsses.

IVitnesses;

F. WARREN JOHNSON, H. B. WILLSON.

Josnrnn. GRISMER. 

